Are the single-line comment identifiers // considered acceptable under c99 ANSI standard? They are used in C++, correct? Also, are you just leaving some of your code out ( ie variable initializers?) or can // be used outside of commenting ( as you have //int loop = 0)? I am just learning and this is unfamiliar to me, so I wanted to ask.

Okay, but what about the second part of my query? Are we just generalizing the code to get to the point of the original question or are the // being used to initialize loop?
Sorry, if I'm being daft, but I'm not going to learn if I don't ask.